Russia introduces subsidies for Kaliningrad-Crimea flights

The maximal one-way special tariff is going to be about $128, subsidy per passenger - $85

MOSCOW, May 10, /ITAR-TASS/. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has signed a decree introducing federal subsidies of about 26 million roubles ($740,000) for passenger air transportation between the Russian exclave Kaliningrad and Simferopol in Crimea, says the Russian Government’s site.

“Given the planned amount of flights on the route, as well as seating capacity of the aircraft, air passenger transportation on the route is about 9,000,” goes the report.

The maximal one-way special tariff is going to be about 4,500 roubles ($128), subsidy per passenger - 3,000 roubles ($85). The special tariff for ticket price calculation will be used from May 15 till October 15.

The programme financing flights to Simferopol includes a number of Russian cities. The Ministry of Transport is planning to use subsidy programmes to boost the passenger flow to Crimea in this season to 680,000-700,000 from 425,000 last summer.